This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Our group''s research efforts range from total synthesis of bioactive natural products to asymmetric catalysis. In summary, we are interested both in devising effective strategies for synthesizing complex molecules and in designing simple molecules possessing desired chemical properties. One of the most fascinating aspects of biosynthetic transformations is the rapid increase in structural complexity. The ease with which living organisms convert simple building blocks into a diverse range of intricately complex natural products has always appealed to synthetic chemists. This does not mean, of course, that closely mimicking the biosynthesis of a given natural product will necessarily lead to the optimal strategy for its synthesis in vitro. Nature''s plan is best viewed not as the blueprint, but rather as a starting point for human creativity.